The installation consists of piles of repurposed clothing borrowed from Goodwill Industries. But the structure beneath it is wood and cardboard and it is not designed to support more weight than the clothing.

The offending party wasn't identified.

Michele Bosak, Assistant Director of Exhibitions at Kendall, doesn't believe it was malicious, but she would have pursued some sort of recourse if the person had been caught in the act.

"I don't understand the mentality," she said. "There's a lack of respect for a lot of pieces. In the past, we've used 'please do not touch' signs. We roped them off this year and are allowing only a few people at a time in the room and thought it was enough."

Bosak suspects a person from a group of college-age students damaged the piece after doors closed at 8 p.m. Thursday. The incident occurred when a volunteer security guard left the sculpture unattended for a moment. It took a couple of hours to repair "The Land Up North" before the exhibit opened again at noon today.

She stressed that although some ArtPrize pieces encourage the public to touch or interact with them, many are there only to be looked at.

"Some people aren't necessarily aware of etiquette," she said.

Not everyone who has been through the venue has been disrespectful. Bosak is encouraged by the behavior of many children who have stopped by to view the art.

"Kids are the most curious," she said. "All the kids who have been through here have been so well-behaved and inquisitive. I'm impressed by what their teachers have instilled in them."

Thursday's incident isn't the first time ArtPrize pieces have been damaged. The entry titled "Bridging Humanity," on the Gillett Bridge, was vandalized last weekend. Pieces of the installation were broken and tossed into the Grand River.